Now that Halloween and October is out of the way, it is time to think about the busiest part of the year. With things like Thanksgiving and Christmas and other holidays to look forward to, there is a lot to plan for and get excited about.
One thing that you might even think about is hosting a party at this time of year, with something like a ‘friendsgiving’ party to celebrate with friends, rather than just family. You don’t need to have the big meal, so it can be a fun way to celebrate and get friends together, in a low-pressure way as you can deviate from more traditional ways of celebrating things. You could keep decorating quite minimal, and even go for a pot-luck approach when it comes to food. No matter who is on your list, having a successful party this holiday season is all about planning ahead. So with that in mind, here are some fun ideas to help you to plan and prepare.
CHOOSE A THEME
Of course, a lot of holiday parties are themed automatically, such as Thanksgiving or Hanukkah. But if you are choosing to host more of a ‘friendsgiving’ party, then it gives you the scope to go a little rogue with the theme. If you love Christmas and want to go down that avenue, then think of the classic red and green as a theme. Some more fun options could be an ugly sweater party or something completely out of the box like a Viking-themes party (any excuse to get dressed up, right)? The latter can let you be creative with what goes on, such as getting an authentic Viking drinking horn and choosing some fun native food. But any theme will let you be creative, you just have to pick what is going to work best for you.
GAMES
You might have people on your guest list that all know each other. You might end up inviting people who don’t know each other at all. But either way, some games are a good way to spend the time, or to break the ice, if needed. It could be some classic party games, or even some ‘Minute to Win It’ style games, as they can be fun for groups. For smaller groups, you could even go for some board games or card games; they are all good ways to keep people entertained.
DRINKS!
No matter what the preferences are for your guests, whether there are some wine connoisseurs among them or plenty of guests with a penchant for sparkling water, having plenty to drink is really important. To start off with, it is a good idea to make sure that you have enough glasses to drink with. If you don’t have enough of your own, then you could go for disposables, or even ask friends to bring some with them. Plus, if you have a friend that knows a lot about wine or mixers, for example, then why not give them some free range with what to bring, and you can pay them back or split the cost. If wine isn’t really the thing for your crowd, then you could make some cocktails or fruit punches. When there is just one bowl, it makes things nice and easy.
FUN AND QUIRKY TOUCHES
The good thing about hosting your own party is that you can do what you want to celebrate the festive season. You could get mistletoe, for example, or fill the home with balloons. You could get a karaoke machine, or even an old-school bubble machine. There are so many options with these kinds of things. So why not surprise your guests with a whole host of things? It will help your party to stand out and will mean something that won’t be forgotten for years to come.
CREATE A PLAYLIST
Having a playlist is a really vital part of any party or event. The music might not be the focus of the party, unless you’re having dancing. But having a good playlist is something that can set the tone for the party and make a difference to what things sound like. Choosing some upbeat songs, with a bit of a mix of old or new is a really good call.
Although planning ahead is something that is really important, your event can be really chilled or thoroughly planned; whatever you would rather. Just make it all about having fun and being with people that want to be all together to celebrate.